Posted on behalf of D'Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC on May 11, 2017 in Car Accidents

Two people were killed in a tragic car accident on Tuesday afternoon on Route 64 in Woodbury. One victim was 87-year-old Edward Bertulis and the other was Kathy Berman, the wife of ESPN's Chris Berman, a well-known broadcaster at the network.

The car accident occurred around 2:15 p.m. when Kathy Berman's 2003 Lexus hit the rear of Bertulis' Ford Escape SUV. Both vehicles veered off the road. The SUV hit a utility pole and rolled onto its roof while Berman's vehicle veered onto an embankment and overturned in a small body of water. The accident left pieces of the SUV scattered across the road.

Berman died at the scene of the accident, and Bertulis died at the hospital.

The accident is being investigated by state police, who are working to determine the cause of the crash.

Fatal Car Accidents Are on the Rise

Unfortunately, tragic accidents like the one that occurred on Tuesday have become all too frequent on our nation's roadways. There was a six percent increase in fatal car accidents from 2015 to 2016, as more than 40,000 people were killed in these crashes, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

The NSC also found that the number of traffic fatalities in 2016 was 14 percent higher than the number of traffic deaths in 2014. This represents the largest two-year increase in traffic deaths in more than five decades.

Causes of Fatal Car Accidents

While it is still unclear what caused Tuesday's accident, many other fatal accidents are caused by reckless driving, which can include:

Driving while intoxicated

Speeding

Distracted driving, including texting and driving

Road rage

Drowsy driving

Disobeying traffic laws

If you suffered serious injuries or lost a loved in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, you may be able to obtain compensation for the damages you have suffered.

The Waterbury car accident attorneys at D'Amico & Pettinicchi are familiar with the tragedy of losing a loved one in an accident and can help you obtain the justice and compensation you deserve.